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by Rosetylars



Series: Cricverse [40]
Category: Cricket RPF, Sports RPF
Genre: Established Relationship, Fluff, Long-Distance Relationship, M/M, Reunions
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-19
Updated: 2021-01-19
Packaged: 2021-03-17 19:49:18
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,899
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28854588
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rosetylars/pseuds/Rosetylars
Summary: After the final day of the home summer, Pat finally heads home.
Relationships: Pat Cummins/Mitch Marsh, Will Pucovski/Cam Green, mentions of
Series: Cricverse [40]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1755766
Comments: 19
Kudos: 18





	Home

**Author's Note:**

> Melbourne, January 2021.

Pat laid his head against the aeroplane window, trying to get the memories of the last few hours out of his mind. They had fought until the very end. Pat himself had bowled 24 overs in the day - the most he had bowled in a day, his entire career. His body was screaming, his heart was hurting, and he was close to breaking point.

The flight had been planned as soon as the Victorian border permit zones were softened, a couple of nights ago - he was technically classed as orange-level risk, having been in Sydney for the third Test, but because of their strict hub conditions during the Test series, he was able to get a permit and enter without needing another swab.

He didn’t really care what he had to do, at this point, to get to Melbourne. He probably would have walked, if it meant he could get there.

To finally see Mitch.

By now, the Scorchers’ match had already started - it would probably be nearly over when Pat landed. Mitch still wasn’t fit to play, because of his side strain, but he was still sitting with the coaching staff during the matches he missed.

After the Test, the Aussies had had a short debrief and then shared some beers - obviously, the energy in the room was quite flat. It had been a tough summer.

The only ones who hadn’t looked too broken were Cam and Will, who had been lost in their own little world - sipping their beers and getting progressively more tactile, without realising how obvious they were being.

The sight had made Pat smile a little - he remembered how exciting everything had felt on his first tour, when he had fallen for Mitch.

Now, though, he closed his eyes, feeling the vibration of the plane against his temple. He couldn’t wait to land in Melbourne.

*

The last rays of sunlight were still visible when Pat landed, at nearly nine, and Pat thought that was fitting.

Since Pat would be joining the BBL bubble, he had to get picked up from the airport by a CA official - he apologised profusely for the hassle, but they assured him it was fine.

Finally, as it approached ten, they had gone through all of their paperwork and arrived at the hotel. Mitch had left Pat a spare key with the officials, so he was able to head straight up to Mitch’s - their - room.

Pat opened the door, and dragged his suitcase inside. He was a few kit bags lighter than he had been for the Test series - Josh and Starcy had offered to take them back to Sydney for him, to save him from dragging them around Australia when he wasn’t playing.

The room wasn’t as messy as he had expected, given Mitch had been there on his own for a couple of days. There was a pair of sneakers and a pair of sandals just inside the door, ready for Pat to trip over, and Pat couldn’t help but chuckle to himself at the sight.

They were going to be here until Sunday, so Pat decided to unpack while Mitch was still at the match. He was beyond exhausted, but the task helped him take his mind off of the day’s events.

A little while later, he was zipping up an empty case and putting it beside Mitch’s, in the corner… only to realise that Mitch’s was still a third full, with a bunch of crumpled clothes in the bottom.

Pat sighed, shifting Mitch’s bag to unzip it and finish _his_ unpacking, too.

Eventually, with everything tidy, he headed for a shower.

Mitch had left his electric shaver on the bathroom counter, and Pat realised the sight didn’t even annoy him - he had missed that man too much. He rinsed the rogue whiskers down the sink and got into the shower, using Mitch’s shampoo and conditioner, appreciating the familiar scents after so long.

Afterwards, he put on one of Mitch’s t-shirts - (it smelt like him, and it was heaven) - and sat on the bed, finally getting around to some of the messages on his phone.

Josh had texted a while back, saying he hoped Pat’s flight was okay, and that they were having some quiet beers back at the hotel.

Pat didn’t like leaving his teammates halfway through their evening, but they had all supported him when they realised he could see Mitch.

As Pat was typing a reply to Josh, Mitch texted to let him know that they were on the bus, and they’d only be about ten.

Pat’s heart started racing immediately.

He watched the clock on his phone count down, barely able to contain himself. After six minutes, he decided to stand outside the door and wait.

After what felt like a lifetime, he heard the lift ding, and his heart nearly beat out of his chest.

And then Mitch was jogging down a hotel hallway to see him.

Pat didn’t care about the door locking behind him. He abandoned it, let it clunk shut, and met Mitch halfway, throwing his arms around Mitch’s neck and kissing him. If he were honest, Pat probably would have leapt into his arms if it weren’t for Mitch’s injury.

They were both grinning into the kiss, and when Mitch pulled away, his eyes were sparkling.

“You’re here,” Mitch murmured, arms firmly around Pat’s waist.

“I’m here,” Pat replied, running his thumb along Mitch’s cheekbone. “I’ve missed you so much.”

“Missed you more,” Mitch replied, pecking Pat once more. “Here, let’s get inside before everyone comes up and wants to steal you away from me.”

Pat chuckled, kissing him again before Mitch had to fish for his swipe card.

As soon as they got inside, Mitch’s jaw dropped. “You tidied?”

Pat shrugged, flopping down on the bed, pulling Mitch with him, by the hips.

“Yeah. Got a bit restless,” Pat admitted.

Mitch shifted higher up the bed so they could cuddle, wrapping Pat up in his arms for the first time in eight weeks. They were sideways, legs tangled, and it was just what they both needed.

“How’s your side?” Pat asked, sliding his hand under Mitch’s Scorchers polo, brushing gentle fingertips over the injured area.

Mitch shrugged, pecking Pat’s lips. “It’s okay,” he replied. “How bad are you feeling after today?”

Pat didn’t want to meet Mitch’s eyes, because the emotion was all right under the surface. But Mitch knew him better than anyone. He put a hand under Pat’s chin, very gently lifting it until Pat would look at him.

Mitch’s eyes were so beautiful, and Pat couldn’t take it any more. He buried his head in Mitch’s chest, shaking his head.

“Hey,” Mitch whispered, running his fingers through Pat’s hair, which had grown out on top. “You fought so hard, bub. You gave it absolutely everything. How many overs did you bowl today?”

“Twenty four,” Pat mumbled into Mitch’s top.

Mitch huffed a disbelieving laugh. “You’re incredible. I’m so proud of you. You were player of the series!”

Pat shrugged, too emotionally numb for the honour to have settled in his mind, yet.

“Everything hurts,” Pat mumbled, making Mitch chuckle.

“I’ll fix it,” Mitch replied.

Pat was intrigued enough to remove his face from hiding. “How?”

“You tell me where it hurts, and I’ll kiss it,” Mitch said cheekily.

Pat couldn’t help the love that flooded his veins, at the words. This had been a game they had been playing since they were a lot younger.

“Here,” Pat lied, pointing to his lips.

Mitch gave him a fake-solemn nod, kissing his lips diligently.

“Here,” Pat pointed to his neck.

Mitch took his time sucking gentle kisses into Pat’s neck.

“Where else?” Mitch asked, a smile pulling at his lips.

“Here,” Pat said, pointing to his heart.

Mitch slid his fingertips under Pat’s (his) t-shirt, meeting Pat’s eyes. Pat nodded, and Mitch removed it, seeing Pat’s bare torso for the first time in two months.

“You’re burnt, darling,” Mitch lamented, able to see the contrast between the skin that had been exposed and that which had been covered by his whites.

Pat just shrugged, pulling Mitch’s head down to his chest.

Mitch chuckled, leaning on an elbow so he could press gentle kisses to the skin over Pat’s heart. Mitch trailed his fingers down Pat’s ribs, and Pat knew he was worried about him before he said anything.

“Bub, you’re thinner,” Mitch worried. “They worked you too hard for too long-“

“Hey,” Pat whispered, squeezing Mitch’s hand. “It’s okay. I’m fine.”

Mitch pouted. “I want you to be okay,” he whispered, wrapping his arms around Pat again, hugging him tightly on the bed. “You’re mine again, now. No overworking.”

Pat couldn’t help the cheeky smile that crept onto his face, knowing just how to push Mitch’s buttons. “So we’ll abstain, then?”

Instead of answering, Mitch just rolled on top of him, making Pat’s breath hitch.

*

The following morning, Pat woke up in Mitch’s arms, and finally felt right again.

He would normally get up and make a coffee, but today, he didn’t want this moment to end. He burrowed his head closer into Mitch’s chest, sighing contentedly.

He dozed again, reawakening when Mitch started to stir.

“You’re here,” Mitch mumbled contentedly into Pat’s hair. “Wasn’t a dream.”

“I’m here,” Pat agreed, heart warm. “Not getting rid of me now.”

Mitch pecked his forehead. “Good. Never letting you go.”

They lazed in bed for a while, lost in each other.

Until the lock mechanism on the door started to whir, and they both sat up, startled.

“Get up, mate, we’re going for breakfast,” Shaun declared as he walked in, perching on the back of the armchair before doing a double take. “Holy shit, Patty,” he realised.

Mitch blinked, and Pat pulled the sheets up around them out of habit, even though they were both in sleepwear.

“Sorry, mate, I didn’t realise you were here,” Shaun explained.

“That’s okay, it’s good to see you,” Pat replied, settling his head back against Mitch’s chest.

“You said you were free for breakfast again,” Shaun said to Mitch.

Mitch grimaced, scratching the back of his head. “May not have thought that through,” he admitted. He turned his attention to Pat. “Would you rather go out, or stay in?”

“Happy to go out,” Pat suggested.

Shaun and Mitch nodded.

“Seeing as you aren’t ready,” Shaun looked at Mitch’s sleep t-shirt pointedly, “I’ll give you ten minutes.”

“We’ll be ready in five,” Mitch replied.

“You _so_ will not be ready that soon, Mitchy,” Pat chuckled.

Mitch rolled his eyes, hiding his face in Pat’s neck.

“Good to see you, mate,” Shaun said to Pat, heading for the door. “See you in a minute.”

“See ya,” Pat agreed, getting out of bed.

Mitch sighed, reaching for Pat’s hand, even though he was still in bed, and Pat was standing. “I thought it’d just be the two of us,” he pouted.

Pat lifted the hand to his lips, and kissed Mitch’s wedding ring. “We’re gonna have a lot of time just to be together, bub,” he said gently. “It’s only Shaun. It’ll feel like being at home.”

The thought did make Mitch smile, a little.

“Okay,” Mitch agreed. “But I want a kiss first.”

*

As Pat and Shaun had both predicted, Mitch took forever to get ready, but eventually, they were heading out of the hotel.

They found a cafe with outdoor seating pretty quickly, and Mitch headed over to place their order while Pat and Shaun caught up.

“Congratulations on the baby, mate, he’s perfect,” Pat gushed.

Shaun smiled, pleased. “Thank you, we’re obsessed with him,” he replied. “It was hard to leave him, but Austin assured me he’d look after him.”

Pat pouted. “That’s so sweet.”

Shaun smiled, getting his phone out to show Pat photos.

“This is from last night,” Shaun said, showing Pat a photo of Austin kissing his new baby brother’s forehead.

Pat melted. “They’re gorgeous together, mate, you must be over the moon.”

“I am,” Shaun smiled softly. “Can’t wait to get back home to them.”

Pat nodded, and at that point, Mitch came over with a table number.

“All good?” Pat asked, squeezing his hip as he sat down.

“Yeah,” Mitch replied. He noticed Shaun’s phone on the table, open on the image, and melted. “Can you send that to me, please?”

Shaun grinned, nodding, sending it straight away. “Surprised Bec didn’t send it to you,” he mused.

Mitch pouted. “She’s only sending me one every couple of hours, now. Feeling very left out,” he said, not joking.

Pat’s heart warmed at how much Mitch loved his family.

After that, though, Shaun congratulated Pat on being named player of the Test series, the previous afternoon.

“Thank you, but it all still hurts,” Pat admitted.

Shaun nodded, grimacing. “You bowled so well all series. Nobody could’ve asked more of you,” he said gently.

Pat gave him a grateful smile, but it didn’t reach his eyes.

Pat's phone buzzed, after that, with a Snapchat from Cam. He opened it, and it was a photo of Will, asleep in an armchair, swimming in a CA hoodie that had ‘CG’ embroidered on the side. The caption said ‘early wakeup for our exit meetings got him like’ and Cam had drawn an arrow to Will’s sleeping face, in case the viewer had missed it on first viewing.

Mitch had seen it, and his eyes widened. “Is that Will?”

“Mhm,” Pat agreed.

“Who sent it?” Mitch asked.

“Cam,” Pat replied. He took a captionless picture of Mitch to send back, and put his phone on the table.

Shaun blinked. “Wait, Cam Green?”

Pat nodded.

“He’s close with Will Pucovski? The Victorian?” Shaun asked.

Pat chuckled. “Inseparable,” he replied. “Sleepovers and all.”

Mitch’s eyes widened - when he had spoken to Pat during the series, they hadn’t spoken much about other people.

“As in… sexually?” Shaun asked, shocked.

Pat shrugged. “I don’t know. They keep it pretty quiet. I think I’m the only one who knows they’ve kissed,” he added, quietly.

Shaun’s jaw dropped. “Cam. As in the kid I’ve spent hours with in the middle. Who I've trained with since he was _seventeen_. The quiet one. _He_ is kissing a teammate?”

“You can’t call anyone quiet,” Mitch frowned. “You barely speak most of the time.”

“Because I’m so used to my idiot brother filling the airwaves all the time,” Shaun bit back.

Mitch went to hit him around the back of the head, but Shaun grabbed his arm in time. Pat just sighed, and they sheepishly let go of each other.

“Yeah, him,” Pat replied, to the earlier question. “He’s definitely not quiet with Will. They’re always laughing,” he replied. “Also, I wouldn’t say he’s _with_ Will. I don’t even think they know what they’re doing.”

Mitch pulled a thoughtful face, and their breakfast arrived.

Shaun sipped his coffee before speaking again. “Did they admit they’ve kissed?”

Pat nodded. “Cam told me,” he replied. “Plus, he was hanging out with me a lot more before Will came back to the squad. Then he abandoned me,” Pat chuckled.

Mitch pouted, tucking a longer bit of Pat’s hair behind his ear.

“Is it a new requirement for selection that you’ve gotta be fucking a teammate?” Shaun asked, only half kidding.

“Not funny,” Mitch replied, trying not to laugh.

“Am I wrong?” Shaun asked.

If Pat thought about it, there were quite a few couples going around, now.

The conversation turned to the Melbourne Derby, later that night, and Pat enjoyed just being around the brothers again.

*

Mitch and the Scorchers had a gym session, after that, so Pat went to hang out with some of the Stars boys in the hotel.

When Mitch returned to their room, in the afternoon, sweaty and high on endorphins, Pat couldn’t help himself.

He pressed Mitch up against the inside of the door, kissing him deeply. Mitch gasped into the kiss, surprised, but kissed back enthusiastically.

They made out against the door, for so long that Pat grew breathless. He paused, pulling back for a moment, and Mitch took advantage. He grabbed Pat’s hips, swapping their positions so that Pat’s back was pressed against the door, Mitch’s thigh between his legs.

Pat let out a soft noise from the back of his throat, and Mitch lost it. He put his hands under Pat’s glutes, encouraging Pat to jump into his arms, half supported by Mitch, half by the door.

They hadn’t done this for a while, and Pat was half worried about Mitch’s side injury, but the moment was so hot that neither of them cared. Pat wrapped his legs tightly around Mitch’s waist, crossing his ankles for a bit of purchase.

They kissed even more deeply, and Pat was grinding against Mitch’s abdomen, and it was all too much. Mitch carried Pat to the bed.

*

When Pat woke up, a little while later, his muscles were aching - but this time, it was a different ache to the exhaustion and effort of bowling.

Mitch turned over in his doze, throwing a heavy arm over Pat’s middle. In that moment, Pat realised that it didn’t matter if they were in Perth, Sydney, or even here, in Melbourne. As long as they were together, Pat would feel like he was home. And after a long summer, he was damn grateful to be home.


End file.
